Is there still a hope for the Dalits?

With the coming of breath of God the dry bones had come to life and become a mighty army (Ezekiel 37:1-14).

The dry bones represented the weak and dead Israel (v.11) Dry bones were pictures of failures and defeat. They had been lying out side of the society in a valley. People did not come to them, for they smell.

Ezekiel was asked by God if there was any hope for them. He simply replied, Lord I don’t know. YOU ALONE KNOW.

Prophet Ezekiel was a man, and from his perspective LIFE for the dead was not possible. There was none to give them life. There was none to care for them. They had been defeated and were crushed to death. They had died there with the expectation of victory but sadly they were overpowered and there was none to fight for them and to be an encouragement for them. There was no hope for them.

But they had hope one time…Now it was gone. Now no more sign of a bright future (V.11).
While there seems to be no way…..God makes the WAY. While there seems to be no hope, God brings the hope. While there seems to be all sad and gloomy, God brings the Good News. While there seems to be oppression and captivity….God brings the trumpet of joy and the message of Deliverance. While we were yet sinners God sent His Son for us…

The Lord said to Ezekiel, O man, there is still hope for these people, who have been defeated and lying here. They can still stand up and they will come to life and fight for their causes (V.6)
How that was possible?

God said to Prophet Ezekiel GO AND PREACH TO THE DRY BONES.
EZEKIEL WITHOUT DOUBTING: OBEYED GOD AND PREACHED (v.7).
(Ezekiel did not ask, Lord they have no ear to hear).
Lord why should I waste my time with these life less bones?
Lord What if I get sick by walking in the valley full of the bones? Etc
BUT Because of the SIMPLE OBEDIENCE AND THE POWER OF WORD and the WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT…

A MIGHTY MIRACLE TOOK PLACE: THE BONES BEGAN TO MOVE, THE LIFE LESS BONES STOOD UP ON THEIR FEET AND BECAME A MIGHTY ARMY (V.10).
This is how the hope of dry bones came alive. When the Word of God was ministered to the STINKING, hopeless, defeated and dead people, the Holy Spirit worked in them thru the Preaching of Word.

Dalits have been in the same state as the dry bones of the valley. They have been mistreated, victimized by injustices, their dignity have been put to death. They have been a defeated people by the upper castes. They have been crushed physically, socially and spiritually.

And there was and there is none to care for them. All people turned their faces from them. No body came to see them in their miseries and oppressed ways. People hated them very much. They made them live outside of their village. They feared their shadow would make them polluted. People feared of serving them anything good for they feared of excommunication from the society and loosing of many benefits.

The gods, Dalits worshipped declared no hope for them. They added to their miseries by causing their adherents to treat them more and more cruelly. They said, “They deserved sufferings and oppressions for they have 'bad karmas’ in their previous births". They said they only deserved to be mistreatment and injustices for being born in ‘lower castes’ and finally the curses of the gods.

THEY DID NOT CONSIDER THESE PEOPLE EVEN HUMANS BUT LIKE AND EVEN LOWER THAN ANIMALS. THE ANIMALS HAD FREEDOM, THEY CAN WALK FREELY IN THE SOCIETY AND JUNGLE BUT DALITS NO, THEY COULD NOT. THEY MADE AND DECLARED THEM “NO PEOPLE”.

While all this was going on….The Bible says, “While we were yet sinners, God sent his Son for us.”

Yes, Jesus has come to give us hope. Jesus has come to preach and teach us. Jesus has come to seek us. Jesus has come to give us rest. Jesus has come to love us. Jesus has come to call us his own. Jesus has come to give us life. Jesus has come to be our living bread. Jesus has come to quench our thirst. Jesus has come make us his blessed people. Jesus has come to declare us; you are more valued than a sparrow. Jesus has come to give us life.

Jesus has come to make us an army (triumphant people). Jesus has come to set the captives’ free. Jesus has come to show God love in action. Jesus has come to make the walls of disunity to be broken. Jesus has come to deliver us. Jesus has come to be our leader. Jesus has come to identify with us. Jesus has come to be our Good Shepherd. Jesus has come to call us his people. Jesus has come to show us the Way. Jesus has come to make us walk. Jesus has come to heal our diseases. Jesus has come to make us see. Jesus has come to experience us social and spiritual freedom. Jesus has come to give the dignity as part of his beautiful creation.

The same Jesus of Nazareth, the humble man, who was born to set His people Free, calls us today to set us free… from the bondage of death and the bondage of social and spiritual oppression.

He is still alive. He is still at work. He is still calling people COME TO ME, I WILL GIVE YOU REST. He wants us to be our Messiah. He wants to make the Dalits move. He wants Dalits to be in the Shepherd Fold. He wants Dalits to hear His voice and be alive. He wants us to experience LIFE. He does not delight in our dark state. He wants us to be the part of his Life which shines in the dark World.

How can Dalits become His living sons and daughters? How can they have hope? How can their filthiness and bad smells be removed? How can they have the life of dignity and honor? How can they experience the joy eternal? How can they rejoice in HIM always? How can their eyes be opened? How can they hear again?

Well the answer is IF THEY CAN HEAR THE MESSAGE OF HOPE.

HOW CAN THEY HEAR? UNLESS SOME ONE SHARES IT WITH THEM LIKE PROPHET EZEKIEL DID IT WITH THE BONES.

WELL MUCH DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE OF GOD NOW.
GOD WANTS IT…………

DALITS, THE OPPRESSED, VICTIM OF INJUSTICES, THE WOMAN, THE CHILDREN, and “NO PEOPLE” WANT IT…………

BUT DO YOU MY CHRISTIAN Friends DO YOU also WANTS IT?

DO YOU WANT TO SEE MIRACLES HAPPENING? DO YOU WANNA SEE DEAD, STINKING, PEOPLE WALKING AND REJOICING?

Is there any hope for the Dalits today in this world?
Yes…. Yes…. yes
Make the people hear it. Make the people believe it. Give the people option. Give the people hope. You yourself have to have a hope.

LIKE THE PROPHET EZEKIEL OUR MESSAGE SHOULD BE FULL OF HOPE, ENCOURAGEMENT, FULL OF CHALLENGE, FULL OF COMPASSION AND FULL OF LOVE.
IF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS ARE WILLING TO OBEY, GOD WILL DO HIS PART. LET’S DO IT. NOW WE DON’T NEED ANY MORE REVELATIONS OF GOD TO GO AND PREACH.
JESUS ALREADY MADE IT CLEAR, GO…….AND MAKE DISCIPLES ALL NATIONS.

YES, THE BLIND WILL SEE, THE LAME WILL WALK, THE DUMB WILL SPEAK, THE OPPRESSED WILL BECOME STRONG, THE CAPTIVES WILL EXPERIENCE FREEDOM, AND THE DEAD WILL COME TO LIFE.

WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE…..amen